SUBURBAN ISSUES

Rossford voters to mull levies for recreation, fire departments

Holgate to decide on funding for swimming pool, parks

5/4/2014

BY MARK REITERBLADE STAFF WRITER

Veteran Memorial Park in Rossford is among the facilities that would benefit from the passage of levies on Tuesday’s ballot. Each levy would raise about $49,000 annually for capital improvement and operation expenses.

Voters in Rossford will be asked to approve two replacement levies to fund the city’s recreation department and decide on renewal requests for two levies that support fire department operations.

The primary ballot for the Toledo suburb — among a host of issues locally and across the region — include two five-year, 0.4-mill replacement taxes, one for capital improvements for recreation facilities and another for operations in the department. Each levy, if approved, will generate about $49,000 annually. The owner of a house with an assessed value of $100,000 would pay $14 a year, or $28 if both are approved.

The fire department issues that will be decided are a 1-mill levy, which collects $123,000 annually in tax money, and a 0.6-mill levy, which generates $74,000 a year. Both issues are for five years and would extend levies that expire at the end of 2014. The taxes cover the cost of firefighters’ pay and repairing and buying equipment.

Each renewal costs the owner of a $100,000 home a little over $24 a year, or $49 if both are approved.

“Our department has one full-time employee and the rest are paid volunteers,” Ed Ciecka, city administrator, said. “These two levies support the replacement of equipment and provide for payment of the volunteers.”

In other nonschool issues, Holgate in Henry County plans to find out how much residents value their community pool. It is requesting a five-year, 2-mill levy to operate the village’s 45-year-old swimming pool. It would generate about $25,000 a year.

Rossford Fire Department has two renewal levies on Tuesday’s ballot. Both issues are for five years and would extend levies that expire at the end of the year.

The measure would cost the owner of a $100,000 home about $70 a year.

Holgate is also asking voters to decide a continuous 1-mill additional levy to fund park improvements. That issue would collect about $12,500 annually in tax money. The owner of a home with a value of $100,000 would pay $35 a year.

Mayor Wallace Snyder said operation and maintenance of the pool had been funded with a 2.5-mill levy that will expire this year.

“We are asking the voters to tell us what is important and to tell us if you want to continue to have a pool,” he said.

The village of Deshler, also in Henry County, is asking voters to approve a 2.1-mill additional levy to generate nearly $50,000 a year to pay for police operations, including personnel costs and supplies. The issue, which would run for five years, would cost the owner of a home appraised at $100,000 about $74 annually.

In Fulton County, voters are being asked to renew a 1.1-mill, five-year levy and approve an additional 0.5-mills for senior center activities. The current tax generates about $900,000 a year.

The added tax would provide an additional $440,000 annually. The new 1.6-mill request, which will appear on the ballot as one issue, would cost the owner of a home valued at $100,000 $49 a year.

Sheri Rychener, executive director of the Fulton County Senior Center, said the county’s 60 and over population is expected to increase by 34 percent in the next six years. She said the demand for meals has increased by 54 percent since 2008 and referrals for appointments have have jumped 33 percent during the last two years.

“All of these services allow Fulton County seniors to remain independent in their own homes,” she said.

Archbold Community Library in Fulton County is seeking renewal of a 0.7-mill, five-year property tax. The levy provides about $150,000 a year for library operations and costs the owner of a home with a value at $100,000 about $21 a year.

Delta, also in Fulton County, is asking voters to approve an additional 1.25-mill, five-year property tax to pay for the municipal pool and related expenses. It would generate about $53,000 annually and cost the owner of a $100,000 home approximately $125 per year.

Sandusky County voters are being asked to approve a five-year, 0.8-mill levy for services administered by the Mental Health and Recovery Services Board of Seneca, Sandusky, and Wyandot County.

The tax request would raise about $906,000 in its first year and the money would remain in the county.